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Author Richart, J.; Otal, A.; Rodriguez, S.; Nicolas, A.I.; DePiaggio, M.; Santos, M.; Vijande, J.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.
Title A practical MRI-based reconstruction method for a new endocavitary and interstitial gynaecological template Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy Abbreviated Journal J. Contemp. Brachytherapy
Volume 7 Issue (up) 5 Pages 407-414
Keywords brachytherapy template; catheter reconstruction; gynecological template; interstitial implants
Abstract Purpose: There are perineal templates for interstitial implants such as MUPIT and Syed applicators. Their limitations are the intracavitary component deficit and the necessity to use computed tomography (CT) for treatment planning since both applicators are non-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibles. To overcome these problems, a new template named Template Benidorm (TB) has been recently developed. Titanium needles are usually reconstructed based on their own artifacts, mainly in T1-weighted sequence, using the void on the tip as the needle tip position. Nevertheless, patient tissues surrounding the needles present heterogeneities that complicate the accurate identification of these artifact patterns. The purpose of this work is to improve the titanium needle reconstruction uncertainty for the TB case using a simple method based on the free needle lengths and typical MRI pellets markers. Material and methods: The proposed procedure consists on the inclusion of three small A-vitamin pellets (hyper-intense on MRI images) compressed by both applicator plates defining the central plane of the plate's arrangement. The needles used are typically 20 cm in length. For each needle, two points are selected defining the straight line. From such line and the plane equations, the intersection can be obtained, and using the free length (knowing the offset distance), the coordinates of the needle tip can be obtained. The method is applied in both T1W and T2W acquisition sequences. To evaluate the inter-observer variation of the method, three implants of T1W and another three of T2W have been reconstructed by two different medical physicists with experience on these reconstructions. Results and conclusions: The differences observed in the positioning were significantly smaller than 1 mm in all cases. The presented algorithm also allows the use of only T2W sequence either for contouring or reconstruction purposes. The proposed method is robust and independent of the visibility of the artifact at the tip of the needle.
Address [Richart, Jose; Otal, Antonio; Rodriguez, Silvia; DePiaggio, Marina; Santos, Manuel; Perez-Calatayud, Jose] Benidorm Hosp, Dept Radiotherapy, Alicante, Spain, Email: fballest@uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Termedia Publishing House Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1689-832x ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000365247600012 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2476
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Author Granero, D.; Candela-Juan, C.; Vijande, J.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.; Jacob, D.; Mourtada, F.
Title Technical Note: Dosimetry of Leipzig and Valencia applicators without the plastic cap Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Medical Physics Abbreviated Journal Med. Phys.
Volume 43 Issue (up) 5 Pages 2087 - 4pp
Keywords Leipzig applicators; Valencia applicators; skin brachytherapy; Monte Carlo; dosimetry
Abstract Purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treatment of small skin lesions using the Leipzig and Valencia applicators is a widely used technique. These applicators are equipped with an attachable plastic cap to be placed during fraction delivery to ensure electronic equilibrium and to prevent secondary electrons from reaching the skin surface. The purpose of this study is to report on the dosimetric impact of the cap being absent during HDR fraction delivery, which has not been explored previously in the literature. Methods: GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations (version 10.0) have been performed for the Leipzig and Valencia applicators with and without the plastic cap. In order to validate the Monte Carlo simulations, experimental measurements using radiochromic films have been done. Results: Dose absorbed within 1 mm of the skin surface increases by a factor of 1500% for the Leipzig applicators and of 180% for the Valencia applicators. Deeper than 1 mm, the overdosage flattens up to a 10% increase. Conclusions: Differences of treating with or without the plastic cap are significant. Users must check always that the plastic cap is in place before any treatment in order to avoid overdosage of the skin. Prior to skin HDR fraction delivery, the timeout checklist should include verification of the cap placement. (C) 2016 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
Address [Granero, D.] Hosp Gen Univ, Dept Radiat Phys, ERESA, Valencia 46014, Spain, Email: dgranero@eresa.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Assoc Physicists Medicine Amer Inst Physics Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0094-2405 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000378924200010 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2753
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Author Vijande, J.; Ballester, F.; Ouhib, Z.; Granero, D.; Pujades-Claumarchirant, M.C.; Perez-Calatayud, J.
Title Dosimetry comparison between TG-43 and Monte Carlo calculations using the Freiburg flap for skin high-dose-rate brachytherapy Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication Brachytherapy Abbreviated Journal Brachytherapy
Volume 11 Issue (up) 6 Pages 528-535
Keywords Ir-192; Brachytherapy; Dosimetry; Penelope2008; Freiburg flap
Abstract PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate whether the delivered dose to the skin surface and at the prescription depth when using a Freiburg flap applicator is in agreement with the one predicted by the treatment planning system (TPS) using the TG-43 dose-calculation formalism. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and radiochromic film measurements have been performed to obtain dose distributions with the source located at the center of one of the spheres and between two spheres. Primary and scatter dose contributions were evaluated to understand the role played by the scatter component. A standard treatment plan was generated using MC- and TG-43-based TPS applying the superposition principle. RESULTS: The MC model has been validated by performing additional simulations in the same conditions but transforming air and Freiburg flap materials into water to match TG-43 parameters. Both dose distributions differ less than 1%. Scatter defect compared with TG-43 data is up to 15% when the source is located at the center of the sphere and up to 25% when the source is between two spheres. Maximum deviations between TPS- and MC-based distributions are of 5%. CONCLUSIONS: The deviations in the TG-43-based dose distributions for a standard treatment plan with respect to the MC dose distribution calculated taking into account the composition and shape of the applicator and the surrounding air are lower than 5%. Therefore, this study supports the validity of the TPS used in clinical practice. (C) 2012 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Address [Vijande, Javier; Ballester, Facundo] Univ Valencia, Dept Atom Mol & Nucl Phys, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain, Email: javier.vijande@uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Science Inc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1538-4721 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000310863700018 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1227
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Author Candela-Juan, C.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.; Vijande, J.
Title Assaying multiple I-125 seeds with the well-ionization chamber SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 and a new insert Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy Abbreviated Journal J. Contemp. Brachytherapy
Volume 7 Issue (up) 6 Pages 492-496
Keywords brachytherapy; insert; quality assurance; prostate; seeds; well chamber
Abstract Purpose: To provide a practical solution that can be adopted in clinical routine to fulfill the AAPM-ESTRO recommendations regarding quality assurance of seeds used in prostate permanent brachytherapy. The aim is to design a new insert for the well-ionization chamber SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 (PTW, Germany) that allows evaluating the mean air-kerma strength of up to ten I-125 seeds with one single measurement instead of measuring each seed individually. Material and methods: The material required is: a) the SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 well-ionization chamber provided with a PTW insert to measure the air-kerma strength S-K of one single seed at a time; b) a newly designed insert that accommodates ten seeds in one column, which allows measuring the mean S-K of the ten seeds in one single measurement; and c) a container with ten seeds from the same batch and class of the seeds used for the patient implant, and a set of nine non-radioactive seeds.The new insert is characterized by determining its calibration coefficient, used to convert the reading of the well-chamber when ten seeds are measured to their mean S-K. The proposed method is validated by comparing the mean S-K of the ten seeds obtained from the new insert with the individual measurement of S-K of each seed, evaluated with the PTW insert. Results: The ratio between the calibration coefficient of the new insert and the calibration coefficient of the PTW insert for the SourceCheck(4 Pi) 33005 is 1.135 +/- 0.007 (k = 1). The mean S-K of a set of ten seeds evaluated with this new system is in agreement with the mean value obtained from measuring independently the S-K of each seed. Conclusions: The new insert and procedure allow evaluating the mean S-K of ten seeds prior to the implant in a single measurement. The method is faster and more efficient from radiation protection point of view than measuring the individual S-K of each seed.
Address [Candela-Juan, Cristian; Perez-Calatayud, Jose] La Fe Univ, Dept Radiat Oncol, Phys Sect, E-46026 Valencia, Spain, Email: ccanjuan@gmail.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Termedia Publishing House Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1689-832x ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000368381300010 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2533
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Author Candela-Juan, C.; Vijande, J.; Garcia-Martinez, T.; Niatsetski, Y.; Nauta, G.; Schuurman, J.; Ouhib, Z.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.
Title Comparison and uncertainty evaluation of different calibration protocols and ionization chambers for low-energy surface brachytherapy dosimetry Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Medical Physics Abbreviated Journal Med. Phys.
Volume 42 Issue (up) 8 Pages 4954-4964
Keywords x-ray beams; electronic brachytherapy; surface applicators; dosimetry; uncertainty
Abstract Purpose: A surface electronic brachytherapy (EBT) device is in fact an x-ray source collimated with specific applicators. Low-energy (<100 kVp) x-ray beam dosimetry faces several challenges that need to be addressed. A number of calibration protocols have been published for x-ray beam dosimetry. The media in which measurements are performed are the fundamental difference between them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface dose rate of a low-energy x-ray source with small field applicators using different calibration standards and different small-volume ionization chambers, comparing the values and uncertainties of each methodology. Methods: The surface dose rate of the EBT unit Esteya (Elekta Brachytherapy, The Netherlands), a 69.5 kVp x-ray source with applicators of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mm diameter, was evaluated using the AAPM TG-61 (based on air kerma) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) TRS-398 (based on absorbed dose to water) dosimetry protocols for low-energy photon beams. A plane parallel T34013 ionization chamber (PTW Freiburg, Germany) calibrated in terms of both absorbed dose to water and air kerma was used to compare the two dosimetry protocols. Another PTW chamber of the same model was used to evaluate the reproducibility between these chambers. Measurements were also performed with two different Exradin A20 (Standard Imaging, Inc., Middleton, WI) chambers calibrated in terms of air kerma. Results: Differences between surface dose rates measured in air and in water using the T34013 chamber range from 1.6% to 3.3%. No field size dependence has been observed. Differences are below 3.7% when measurements with the A20 and the T34013 chambers calibrated in air are compared. Estimated uncertainty (with coverage factor k = 1) for the T34013 chamber calibrated in water is 2.2%-2.4%, whereas it increases to 2.5% and 2.7% for the A20 and T34013 chambers calibrated in air, respectively. The output factors, measured with the PTW chambers, differ by less than 1.1% for any applicator size when compared to the output factors that were measured with the A20 chamber. Conclusions: Measurements using both dosimetric protocols are consistent, once the overall uncertainties are considered. There is also consistency between measurements performed with both chambers calibrated in air. Both the T34013 and A20 chambers have negligible stem effect. Any x-ray surface brachytherapy system, including Esteya, can be characterized using either one of these calibration protocols and ionization chambers. Having less correction factors, lower uncertainty, and based on measurements, performed in closer to clinical conditions, the TRS-398 protocol seems to be the preferred option.
Address [Candela-Juan, C.; Perez-Calatayud, J.] La Fe Univ, Dept Radiat Oncol, Valencia 46026, Spain, Email: ccanjuan@gmail.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Assoc Physicists Medicine Amer Inst Physics Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0094-2405 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000358933000051 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2323
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Author Oliver-Canamas, L.; Vijande, J.; Candela-Juan, C.; Gimeno-Olmos, J.; Pujades-Claumarchirant, M.C.; Rovira-Escutia, J.J.; Ballester, F.; Perez-Calatayud, J.
Title A User-Friendly System for Mailed Dosimetric Audits of Ir-192 or Co-60 HDR Brachytherapy Sources Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication Cancers Abbreviated Journal Cancers
Volume 15 Issue (up) 9 Pages 2484 - 14pp
Keywords high dose rate brachytherapy; dosimetric audit; error detection; phantom
Abstract Nowadays, the options available to perform external dosimetric audits of the high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment process are limited. In this work, we present a methodology that allows for performing dosimetric audits in this field. A phantom was designed and manufactured for this purpose. The criteria for its design, together with the in-house measurements for its characterization, are presented. The result is a user-friendly system that can be mailed to perform dosimetric audits in HDR brachytherapy on-site for systems using either Iridium-192 (Ir-192) or Cobalt-60 (Co-60) sources. Objectives: The main goal of this work is to design and characterize a user-friendly methodology to perform mailed dosimetric audits in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for systems using either Iridium-192 (Ir-192) or Cobalt-60 (Co-60) sources. Methods: A solid phantom was designed and manufactured with four catheters and a central slot to place one dosimeter. Irradiations with an Elekta MicroSelectron V2 for Ir-192, and with a BEBIG Multisource for Co-60 were performed for its characterization. For the dose measurements, nanoDots, a type of optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs), were characterized. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed to evaluate the scatter conditions of the irradiation set-up and to study differences in the photon spectra of different Ir-192 sources (Microselectron V2, Flexisource, BEBIG Ir2.A85-2 and Varisource VS2000) reaching the dosimeter in the irradiation set-up. Results: MC simulations indicate that the surface material on which the phantom is supported during the irradiations does not affect the absorbed dose in the nanoDot. Generally, differences below 5% were found in the photon spectra reaching the detector when comparing the Microselectron V2, the Flexisource and the BEBIG models. However, differences up to 20% are observed between the V2 and the Varisource VS2000 models. The calibration coefficients and the uncertainty in the dose measurement were evaluated. Conclusions: The system described here is able to perform dosimetric audits in HDR brachytherapy for systems using either Ir-192 or Co-60 sources. No significant differences are observed between the photon spectra reaching the detector for the MicroSelectron V2, the Flexisource and the BEBIG Ir-192 sources. For the Varisource VS2000, a higher uncertainty is considered in the dose measurement to allow for the nanoDot response.
Address [Oliver-Canamas, Laura] Serv Radiofis & Proteccio Radiol, Consorci Hospitalari Prov Castello CHPC, Castellon de La Plana 12002, Spain, Email: laura.oliver.canas@gmail.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Mdpi Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000987247100001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 5542
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